The Salem Playhouse opened in 1945 and operated for 34 years. It closed in 1979, perhaps because the rubber industry closed its doors in Naugatuck that same year. The theater was converted into a roller skating rink in 1980. In Sept. 1982, it reopened as Studio 60, a Young Adult Night Club. After that closed, the theater stood empty for a number of years, until the Rock Church took it over. They later relocated to a larger facility, and the building now houses the Lighthouse Christian Church.